The present invention is directed toward an apparatus for coupling together computer components in the assembly of computers.
Computers have several separate components including floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and many other components. The components are typically manufactured separately from the computer housing or chassis, and then they are mounted in the computer chassis during final assembly. The chassis may be a floor mounted xe2x80x9ctowerxe2x80x9d unit or a desk-mounted unit. In either case, the chassis may have a slot positioned to receive some components (e.g., a disk drive or CD-ROM drive), or the chassis may have a connector to receive other components (e.g., PCBs). Several components may be coupled to the chassis with a bracket. When the component is a disk drive or a CD-ROM drive, the slot in the chassis receives the bracket to couple the component to the chassis. When the component is a PCB, the bracket may be secured to the chassis using fasteners.
One conventional method for installing a plurality of PCBs in a computer chassis involves attaching a mounting bracket to each PCB and then individually connecting each bracket to the chassis with a threaded fastener. Each threaded fastener passes through an aperture in the bracket and is threaded into a threaded hole in the chassis to clamp the bracket to the chassis and restrict relative motion between the PCB and the chassis. Such a method may be employed by a manufacturer of custom computers to produce computers having various numbers of PCBs.
One drawback with the foregoing approach is that it may be time consuming to individually thread each fastener into its corresponding threaded hole. A further disadvantage is that the fasteners may fall into the spaces between neighboring PCBs and may be difficult to retrieve without damaging the PCBs or removing the PCBs from the chassis. Yet a further disadvantage of the foregoing approach is that a tool, such as a screwdriver or wrench required to install each fastener, may slip and damage the PCB or other components during installation. These drawbacks of individually threading each fastener into a corresponding hole are especially problematic for custom computer manufacturers that manually assemble each computer to order because each computer may have different types of components. As such, individually threading each fastener into each hole requires a significant amount of time that impacts the number of computers that can be assembled.
The present invention is directed toward coupling devices for coupling a first computer component to a second computer component. The first computer component may have a first aperture, and the second computer component may have a second aperture. A coupling device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention has an engaging member, a plurality of protrusions projecting from the engaging member, and a fastener coupled to the engaging member. The engaging member is configured to engage at least one of the first and second computer components, and the fastener is configured to attach the engaging member to one of the components. Additionally, when the engaging member is coupled to the first computer component, the protrusions are configured to extend at least partially into the apertures of the first and second computer components to restrict relative motion between the two computer components. As a result, many embodiments of coupling devices in accordance with the invention couple together two or more computer components with a single fastener.
In one embodiment, the fastener comprises a threaded screw or, in another embodiment, the fastener comprises a column having flexible flaps which may be operated without the use of a tool. In either embodiment, the protrusion may be biased toward the second component when the engaging member is coupled to the first component with the fastener.
In still another embodiment, the coupling device includes a support member connected to the engaging member. The support member is a resilient member that is also coupled to the fastener. The support member and the engaging member are then connected with the fastener to the first computer component. Because the support member is stiffer than the engaging member, or at least a resilient member, it biases the engaging member toward the first and second computer components.